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4th Annual Magical Forest Drive

If you are hankering for a back-road Saturday Drive with rich history, consider driving the Hanaford-Tono Loop. This 100 mile scenic drive meanders through farmlands with old barns, remote wildlife areas, riverside parks, industrial zones and faded towns that once thrived with industry. Here’s our experience driving the loop and what not to miss.

Driving down Hanaford Valley Road, you can’t miss TransAlta’s Centralia Power Plant. You’ll come around a bend in the road where the waterways off to the left are commonly filled with ducks and geese, while the plant looms ahead with great plumes of steam rising into the air. It’s a breathtaking juxtaposition of nature and industry. Signs along the route advise no parking so it’s best to enjoy the view from your car, but don’t worry, you will get a closer look as the road passes right through the plant’s property.

Beyond the power plant, the loop continues around what was once the Centralia Coal Mine operation. The greater part of the valley was strip mined for coal. At one time, along this route, great seams of coal lay unearthed while massive earth-moving machines and excavators worked in the pits at all hours. Today, the land is part of a major reclamation project to return the area to natural forest and wetland. For much of the drive, the landscape is interspersed with reclamation, waterways, logging and forests making many areas along the journey excellent points for photo opportunities.

At the junction of Tono Road and Hanaford Valley, turn left to head west toward Bucoda. Along Tono Road, let your imagination take flight as you pass near the ghost town of Tono. One local resident recounted that Tono was quite the town in its day and even had its own landing strip, but by the time he moved to the area there was only one house left, which was the home of John and Lempi Hirvela, who according to Wikipedia left Tono in 1967. Now there is nothing left to see and the land that was once Tono has since been largely obliterated by the Centralia Coal Mine. Wandering into Tono is considered trespassing.

We will also be traversing through the towns of Tenino and Yelm. Please utilize restrooms before we begin our scenic drive since there won’t be any rest stops. Please bring FRS radio if you have one.

Ending location and lunch is at Stone Creek Wood Fired Pizza
4138 Harrison Ave NW
Olympia, WA 98502
https://www.stonecreekwfp.com

  
Schedule
Meet: 8:30am (or earlier)
Drivers Meeting: 8:50
Departure: 9:00

Starting location
Safeway
520 Cleveland Ave SE
Tumwater, WA  98501